Culinary highlights of S.F.'s 49 square miles

SPECIAL ISSUE City boasts culinary gems in each and every square mile

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, September 25, 2011

The San Francisco Chronicle food and wine staff scoured their 49-square-mile city in search of the most interesting places to eat, buy and cook food in each of square miles on the grid. Enjoy!

Media: San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco has a rich culinary history that offers something unique in every one of its 49 square miles.

Sewn together as a culinary quilt, the squares tell the story of our diverse, exciting and food-obsessed city.

While restaurants get the most publicity and seem to be on the tip of everyone's tongue, scores of other enterprises have built the foundation and contributed to the city's culinary depth.

To illustrate that depth, The Chronicle's Food & Wine staff divided the city into a 49-square-mile grid and went on the hunt for the most iconic food business in each square mile. Our goal was to scour our assigned neighborhoods, come up with a list of interesting options and then pick one that defines the neighborhood and reflects the diversity of the city.

It wasn't an easy task, and led to many discussions in staff meetings, over lunches and at impromptu gatherings around our desks. In Square 12, for example, we debated endlessly about whether to choose Tadich Grill, with roots back to 1849, or Mow Lee Shing Kee sausage company, which opened in Chinatown 155 years ago.

Saying we were obsessed with the project for the past several months would be an understatement. It consumed us, and we consumed it.